Cimarron Firearms of Fredericksburg, Texas
has just introduced their 1911 A1 45 ACP auto pistol. At almost
100 years old, the 1911 design is more popular than ever, and
gun makers are introducing new versions almost every month now.
Since John Browning designed that beautiful pistol, many
more-modern pistol designs have come and gone, most of them very
good, but each new pistol to hit the dealer’s shelves has to
compete with the good old slab-sided 1911 for a piece of the
market. As good as many new pistols are, none have been invented
yet than can best the 1911. It is powerful, yet easily
controlled. The 1911 is easy to shoot, and easy o shoot well.
The 45 ACP 1911 is as safe as any pistol ever built, and throws
America’s favorite centerfire auto pistol cartridge.
Eventually, it seems that everyone wants at least one 1911
pistol, but the market is flush with different versions, and
today’s shooter just has to decide which one best suits his or
her needs.

Cimarron Firearms has been a leader in
replica guns of the Old West for many years, selling some very
well-finished Italian replicas of Colts,
Remingtons, Sharps, and Winchesters
that are a cut above the ordinary Italian imports in fit and
finish. Now, Cimarron is importing a very good 1911-A1 replica,
and it is the subject of this piece. The Cimarron 1911-A1 shown
here is a full-sized, all-steel pistol, finished in polished
blue with walnut grip panels: the classic 1911.

Upon opening the hard plastic case and wiping
away the oil, the first impression of the Cimarron 1911 is very
similar to that of handling a vintage commercial Colt. The
Cimarron is highly-polished to a mirror finish, as were the
commercial Colt pistols from decades ago. However, unlike an old
Colt 1911, the Cimarron functions reliably with every type of
modern hollowpoint ammunition. There are touches of both the old
and the new on the Cimarron 1911-A1 pistol. There is a lanyard
loop on the mainspring housing, yet right in front of that, a
modern polymer base pad on the bottom of the eight-shot
magazine. The frame, trigger, and slide are of the 1911 style,
but the thumb safety is a later version. Like the rest of the
pistol, the mainspring housing is highly-polished blued steel,
and even the grip screws are highly-polished. The barrel is
throated for reliability, and the ejection port opened up for
better ejection of the empty cases. The hammer is of the
original spur type, and is very easy to thumb-cock. There is no
modern firing pin safety as is found on Series 80 Colts and
other modernized 1911 pistols. The traditional grip safety is of
original style, and functions perfectly. The thumb safety is for
right-handed shooters only, but an ambidextrous unit can be
easily added, if necessary. The sights are typical old Colt
style, with the front staked in, as were the original 1911
sights. The slide wears original-style patent dates, with the
Cimarron mounted rider logo. The markings are all very
tastefully done. The Philippine manufacture marking is on the
bottom of the frame, just ahead of the trigger guard. The
checkered walnut grip panels have the classic double-diamond
pattern, and while fully checkered, are smoother than most, and
not abrasive at all.

Critical specifications are listed in the
chart below. Weight is listed in ounces. Linear measurements are
listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed as pounds of pressure.
Height includes sights and magazine base.

Chambering

45 ACP

Weight with empty
magazine

38.4 oz.

Trigger Pull

4.6 lbs.

Barrel Length

5.03"

Barrel Diameter

0.574"

Overall Height

5.73"

Overall Length

8.5"

Slide Thickness

0.905"

Grip Thickness

1.29"

Trigger Reach

2.66"

Magazine Capacity

8 rounds

Magazines Supplied

1

I tested for velocity with my chronograph set
at twelve feet from the muzzle, and an air temperature of
fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit; a beautiful sunny Fall day in
Tennessee. Velocity readings were taken at an elevation of
approximately 541 feet above sea level. Velocities are listed in
the chart below, and are listed in feet-per-second (fps). FMJ is
a full metal jacket bullet. JHP is a jacketed hollowpoint. DPX
is an homogenous copper hollowpoint bullet. Glaser is a
specialty pre-fragmented bullet inside a copper alloy jacket. PB
is Pow’RBall. EPR and AF are high
performance specialty bullets as loaded by Extreme
Shock Ammunition. LWSC is a cast lead semi-wadcutter bullet.
Velocities are listed in feet-per-second (fps). Bullet weights
are listed in grains.

Ammunition

Bullet Weight

Velocity

Cor-Bon JHP

200

1119

Cor-Bon JHP

165

1219

Cor-Bon JHP

230

927.3

Cor-Bon DPB

185

1018

Cor-Bon PB

165

1244

Cor-Bon Glaser

145

1236

Stryker FMJ

230

747

Buffalo Bore JHP

230

988.1

Buffalo Bore FMJ

230

967

Handload LWSC

200

997

Extreme Shock EPR

185

1168

Extreme Shock AF

125

1414

WCC 1911 Ball FMJ

230

792.1

The Cimarron 1911-A1 was tested for accuracy
at a distance of twenty-five yards. The weapon was secured into
my Ransom Master Series machine rest,
firing five-shot groups with several different types of
ammunition. Functioning was perfect. No failures to feed, fire,
or eject were experienced with any ammunition tested. Accuracy
went from good to great, as the shooting progressed. The
accuracy improved as the bore got a bit of “seasoning”, and
the Cimarron was very accurate with most ammo tested. I was
expecting average accuracy from the weapon, but was surprised to
find that accuracy was better than the average 1911 pistol, and
reflects the Cimarron’s excellent fit and finish. The Cimarron
did especially well with Cor-Bon 200 grain JHP, which is one of
my favorites for social work and for medium-sized game, such as
Southern whitetail deer.

The Cimarron 1911-A1 shown here is their
beautifully-polished version, which is priced very reasonably.
MSRP on this one, as of this writing, is only $838 US. There is
also a Parkerized version which sells for $182 less. However,
firearms seldom sell for full suggested retail, so check with
your local Cimarron dealer for the price in your area.